Air travelers across the United States faced mounting uncertainty on Friday as a federal directive ordering airlines to reduce flights at dozens of major airports officially took effect.
The move, initiated by the Trump administration, is being presented as a temporary measure to address growing air traffic safety concerns tied to staffing shortages caused by the record-length government shutdown, now entering its sixth week.
Under the directive, airlines were instructed to cut flight operations by four percent starting Friday morning, with the reductions expected to rise gradually to 10 percent in the coming week.
The cuts affect 40 airports nationwide, including some of the country’s busiest travel hubs in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, where passengers were already reporting delays and cancellations.
Transportation officials said the decision was made to ease the pressure on air traffic controllers and safety inspectors, many of whom have been working without pay or are unavailable due to the shutdown.
Airlines and passenger advocacy groups, however, have warned that the directive could cause widespread disruptions, economic losses, and travel chaos if the shutdown continues.
The situation has amplified calls for an immediate resolution to the political standoff that has left key sectors of the U.S. government — and now the nation’s air travel system — under severe strain.
